February 3, 2016

Jimmy Korderas, a former WWE referee of over 20 years, weighs in on the Daniel Bryan situation in a new blog on CSRWrestling.com. Here’s a sample:

Bryan has always been a warrior with an old school mentality. It’s not uncommon for someone with passion and attitude to compete while hurt. Bryan gives the fans everything he has, night in and night out, fighting through the pain to entertain the masses. Often times, young superstars feel they are invincible and take risks. The unfortunate truth for Bryan is the years of pounding that his body has absorbed have finally caught up with him and I’m sure he would not want to tone down his style very much if he were to return. Remember Bryan was cleared once before by an outside doctor only to suffer another injury soon after returning. Not placing blame here, just stating facts.

The bottom line is that there is more to getting Bryan cleared than having a second or third opinion. One of the underlying issues that some fans cannot comprehend is how much the concussion information and protocol has evolved. Besides the concussion related lawsuits the WWE is currently facing, there is a genuine concern about the long term effects of multiple head trauma. The education and information on this subject is getting more in-depth almost every day. Think about it, it would become a PR nightmare if Daniel Bryan returned to the ring and got hurt again, especially considering his well-documented history of concussions. That would only open up the company to further litigation. Yes, the WWE is protecting their public image and interests but you can’t blame them for that. Remember Merril Hoge? If you don’t know who I am talking about, look him up. His concussion issues were NFL related but still very pertinent to this conversation as is the similar lawsuit filed against the NFL. As much as some skeptics will not agree, the WWE is also trying to protect the talent from themselves as well.

So to all you conspiracy theorists out there who believe that Daniel Bryan is not being cleared because he is “too over” and would outshine the other babyfaces, you are sadly mistaken. Why would a company that is “all about the money” intentionally sideline someone who can potentially be their biggest star? A guy that appeals to both hardcore fans but also engages and connects with the more casual fans and kids? A guy who is the perfect storm for the audience and the company. It absolutely makes no sense but I’m sure that some fans will continue to believe that the WWE is out to derail this guy despite the revenue potential he brings to the table. Paging Jesse Ventura!